The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-01-13


sistent tapping and judicious crtcry reused
the proprietors from their beds, and made
them unbar the doors OF their magazines and
expose their wares Sometimes they were
met by curses, but oftcner by interest and
some concern in their needs, and the inter-
view was invariably concluded by drink.
1t was 8 o'clock before this pleasantly was
given over, and with a small waterproof lag
Of india rubber strapped OH his shoulders
Dick returned to the hotel. But here lie
was waylaid by Beauty-Beauty opuIent in
charms. atfinent i'll dress, persuasive iii speech,
ard Spanish in accent! In vain she repcated
the invitation il Excelsior" happily scoTncd
by oil Alpine climbing youth, cid rejected
by this Child Of the s3ie,1rls-a rejection
softeied in this instance by a laugh and his
last gold coin. And then he sprarg to The
saddle and dashed down the lonely street end
out into the lonelier plain, where presently
the lights, the black line OF houses, the spires
and the flagstaff sank into the earth behind
him again and were lost In the distance.
The storm had cleared away, the sir WA
brisk and cold, the outlines of adjacent land.
marks were distinct, but it was 4:3O. before
Dick reached the meeting house and the crcss.
ing OF tho country road. To avoid tic ris;li;
grade lie had taken a longer and more cir
cuitous road, in whose viscii mud Jovta
sank fetlock deep ut every bound. 1t was a
poor preparation for steady ascent of five
miles more; hat JoYita, gathering her less
under her, took it with her usual blind, un.
reasoning fury, and half hour later reached
the long level that led to Rat: Iesnake creek.
Another half hour would bring him to the
creek. He threw the reins lightly upon tito
neck of the mare, chirruped to her, and be.
| gan to sing. ."+sI.s. -'
Suddenly Jovita siied with bound that
| would have uDseatsd less practiced rider.
Hanging to her rein was & figure TINT had
leaped from the bank, and at the same time
from the road before he- crosc s,iatiowy
horse and rider Throw up your hands
commanded tho second gppaEition with an
oath.
Dick fell the nlarc trenlble, CULVER and
apparently siui; uii,srr LIN. Flo knew what
1t meant and was prepared. ..... -.......
"Stand aside, Jack Simpson, I know you,
| you id thief. Let me pass OPP
He did not finish the sentence. Jovita rose
straight in the air with terrific bound,
throwing the figure from her lit with a
single shake of her vicious head and charged
with deadly InuIavolence down c., the i,il-
pedinent before her, An cath, n pistol shot,
horse and hi.shwayman rolled over in tho
road, and the next moment Jovita WIS a
hundred yards away. But tho good right
arm Of her rider, shattered by bullet,
dropped Eeiplessly at his side.
! Without Stacking his speed he shifted tho
reins to his left hand. But few moments
later he was Obliged to halt and tighten the
saddle girshs that had slipped in the onset.
This, in lis crippled condition, took some
time. He had no fear Of pursuit, but look
ing up hc saw that the eastern stars were al
ready p;ling, and that the distant peaks had
lost their ghoS'Iy whi5cncss. and now stood
out b!ackly against lighter sky Day was
/; upon him. Iheu completely absorbed in n
single idea, he forgot the pain of his wound,
and mounting again, dashed on toward Rat
| tiesitake creek. But now Jovitais breatl,
came BROKEN by gasps, Dick ,celetl il, bis
saddle, and brighter and brighter grew the
| sky. .. Fl. --.s...
Ride, Richard; run, Jovita; linger, o day
For tie last few rods there was roariug in
his ears Was il exhaustion from loss OF
/ blood, Or what! He was dazed and ri;l,ly as
he swept down Che hill, and did not rccog.
nize his surroundings. Had Eo taken ,li,
| ~,
1t wGs. But tae brawli1g creek he had
swan few hours before had risen, more
than doubled its volume, and now ro:le,l a
swift and rcsistiess river between him and
Ratt.csnaie hill. For the first time that
night Richard heart sank within him The
river, tho mountain, the quickeliag east,
swam before his eyes. He shut them to re-
cover his self control In that brief interval,
by some fantastic mental process, the little
room at Simpsons Bar und tic figures of the
sleeping father and son rose upon him. He
opened his eyes wildly, cast off his coat, pis-
tol, boots and saddle, bound bis precious pack
tightly to his shoulders, grasped tho bare
fanls of Jovita with his barred knees, and
with a shout dashed iuto the yellow water.
A cry arose from the opposite bank as tho
head of man AMI horse struggled for q
few moments against tho battling current.
and then were swept away amidst uprooscd
trees and whirling lriftwood. ssE5 e
The old man started and woke. The fro
on tho hearth was dead, the candle In ito
outer room Pickering in its socket, and some.
body was rupping at the door. He opencdbit,
but fell back with cry before tho dripping,
half naked figure that rolled against the door
| post.
"Dicks" a'" ss" ..-7.. -" ..'t' 1856
"Husl,! Is hcawal,e yeti' b.
"No--but, Dickfo .&E
! sDry up, you old fool! Get me some
| whisky quickn The Old Man few ard re.
turned with--an ennty hottie; Dick would
have sworn, hut his strength was not equal TO
the occasion. lie staggered, caught at the
handle of the door, and motioned to the Old
Men. 1853
"Thar's suthin' in my pack yer for Johnny.
Take it OF. can't"
The Old Man unstrapped the pack anu laid
1t before the exhausted ma,L
"Open it, quick"
He did SO with trembling fingers. It con-
tanned only few poor toys-cheap and bar
barrie enough, goodness knows, but bright
with pcint and tinscl. One of them was
broken; another, I fear, was irrctrievably
ruined by water; and on the third--ah mel
there was cruel spot.
1T don't look like much, that's fact, y said
Dick, ruefulIy. . > "But It's the best
wp could do. = Take en-. Old
Man, and put EN- In his stock.
ing, and tel hirn--te,l him, yoa krow--
hold me, Old MAN. Tho Old Man caught
at his sinking figure. "Tell him,n said Dick,
with weak little laush-'stell him Sandy
Claus has Gomez
| And even SO, bcdraSslel, ragged, unshaven
and unshorn, with one arm hanging lcl :.lessly
at his side, Santa Claus cat:,c to Simpsons
/ Bar and fell fainting ON lie FIRST threshold.
| The Christmas dawn came slowly after,
touching the remoter peaks wish tho rosy
warmth Of ireffab,e love- And IL locked 50
terdcrly oh Simpsons Bar that the Whole
mountain, rs If caught in generous action,
blushed to the skies.
mas nau Iorr great exhibitions
In as many years -the FISHERIES. -
"Healtherics," "Inyentories' and Colo
uiae ., II Ia nov, r,ro,,oso,l